RED LAKE, Ont. – The Thunder Bay North Stars were looking for a better start to 2015.
The second place club in the Superior International Junior Hockey League dropped their first game of the New Year, falling 3-1 to the English River Miners at the Cochenour Arena on Saturday night.
The loss is a costly one to Thunder Bay (18-12-4) as they hunt the league leading Fort Frances Lakers while also trying to stave off the third-place Minnesota Iron Rangers.
Eric Champagne put the Miners (6-22-3) ahead, scoring the lone goal of the first period.
That margin held up until the third frame, when Landen Matechuk scored to double the English River advantage.
Ryan McQueen got the North Stars on the board 88 seconds later, notching his eighth goal of the season to break the shutout bid of Miners goalie Greg Harney.
Ryker Moreau added an empty netter in the final minute to secure the English River win.
The two teams face off again on Sunday with puck drop scheduled for 4 p.m.
